India sends 250 troops, medical team to Aceh

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite having itself suffered from the tsunami disaster, India is sending relief supplies and medical teams to neighboring countries, including Indonesia, the Indian Embassy in Jakarta said.

The embassy's defense attache, Col. K.J. Choudhary, said India had committed US$25 million in grant assistance to Sri Lanka, Maldives, Indonesia and Thailand.

"In the case of Indonesia, we have sent two Indian naval ships for medical aid and emergency relief work at Meulaboh (in Aceh province)," he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

India has deployed 250 military personnel and a medical team to Aceh, not 16,000 personnel as reported on page 12 of the Post's Wednesday edition.

The two ships are the INS Nirupak, a floating hospital ship, and the INS Khukri, which is carrying emergency relief supplies including tents, blankets, clothing, food and medical supplies.

"The two naval ships have been deployed at Meulaboh in western Aceh since Jan. 5," Choudhary said.

The INS Nirupak is a 45-bed hospital ship equipped with an operation theater and three intensive care units, staffed by four surgeons, an anesthetist, several physicians and paramedical teams.

"Our medical team has been treating about 200 patients every day.

"The medical team has also set up a blood transfusion unit in Meulaboh General Hospital and I am sure it will be ready to help more people," he said.

The INS Khukri has so far disembarked more than 35 tons of relief supplies to the victims of the tsunami in the Meulaboh area.

In order to provide effective relief operations, according to Choudhary, the Indian navy's medical and relief teams were fully coordinating with local authorities and the Indonesian Military.